Mike Denbrock evaluates Noah Cain's progression in LSU system

As LSU turns the page into the Brian Kelly era, Noah Cain, a graduate transfer running back from Penn State, has found a good scheme fit according to offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. At a press conference, Denbrock said that while the transition ultimately depends on the individual, Cain is well equipped to get up to speed through fall camp.

“Noah’s a very intelligent football player. He’s played a lot of football. Obviously played on a big stage. So I think he’s going to adapt to our offensive scheme very well,” Denbrock said.

Along with being a good scheme fit, Denbrock said he’s happy with how Cain has progressed in such a short period at the beginning of fall camp.

“I do think this: I think our offensive scheme fits him really well,” Denbrock said. “I think he’s comfortable with the things we do in the run game and with pass protection. So, I love the progress that he’s made. He’s done a really nice job for just being out there, doing it for five days. Very positive stuff with him.”

Cain’s path to the field is not perfectly clear, still, with LSU rostering a spate of other running backs. Former 5-star recruit John Emery is eligible after missing last season due to academic issues and Armoni Goodwin had a strong spring.

Cain had a promising freshman season at Penn State, scoring eight touchdowns in 10 appearances. He played in just one game his sophomore year, suffering a season ending injury during the opening drive against Indiana. In his third campaign in Happy Valley, Cain played in all 12 games but rushed for only 350 yards, again scoring eight times. Cain earned his Penn State diploma in three years, and has two years of eligibility remaining.

Denbrock is pleased with the progress of LSU’s offense

Denbrock got the chance to discuss more than just Cain’s progress and was happy with the overall progress his unit is making. While he was light on any scheme or player specifics, Denbrock’s generally upbeat messaging portends well for an LSU offense that took significant steps back since the historic 2019 team.

“Offensively, we are making really really good progress,” Denbrock said. “Really happy, especially today. With kind of the stride that we made with our consistency and that’s really the battle at this time of year. Only five practices in, there aren’t a whole lot of answers yet. But you can see things starting to kind of take shape a little bit.”

Denbrock continued, emphasizing the importance of consistent effort for LSU.

“As to, you know, the positive direction that this group as a unit is going — we continue to coach and demand their maximum effort at all times on the football field. And that, for the most part, they’ve given us that. I think it’s it’s a learned skill. I don’t think you inherently are just always a football player that knows how to play hard — or the type of grit that it takes to be successful at what you’re doing. Sometimes, you have to be shown and taught and continue as a skill that gets developed over time. And we’ve gotten better and better at that.”